1. Introduction to Drama

2. Drama
Differences from fiction/non-fiction/poetry

3. Drama Differences from fiction/non-fiction/poetry Interactive art form
Many elements go into a play
But, words are the basis for plays
Consists mostly of Dialogue
And Stage Directions

4. A successful play
Involves a harmonious relationship between various elements
Script
Acting
Directing
Blocking
Set
Costumes
Music
Sound Effects
Lighting
Choreography
Audience

5. But A successful play makes us forget its artifice
Makes us forget that it is an amalgamation of these different elements
Suspension of disbelief

6. Reading a Play

7. Seeing a Play Audience’s appreciation / understanding of play
Directing Acting
Script
Interpretation

8. Reading a Play
Audience’s (reader’s) appreciation / understanding of play
Reading
Script
Interpretation

9. Literary Elements of Drama
Dialogue
Characterization
Symbolism
Setting
Foreshadowing
Irony
Dramatic Structure
Theme

10. Modes of Drama Tragedy and Comedy

11. Tragedy
The protagonist undergoes a reversal of fortune, from good to bad, ending in catastrophe
The reason for this fall is a tragic flaw: an error or weakness of the character’s part

12. Comedy Tragedy and Comedy, although opposites, are close relatives
Comedy, like tragedy, shows people getting into trouble through error or weakness
But, comedy adopts the attitude that human failing is expected of us
It’s not our fault. We fail because everyone fails.

13. Types of Comedy
Satirical Comedy
Dark/Black Comedy

14. Modern Theatre: Realism from X.J. Kennedy & Dana Gioia (course manual)
realistically portrayed middle-class characters [who] face conflicts in their lives and relationships.
Ibsen’s real concern: those aspects of our natures that are hidden or repressed because of society’s expectations.”
“Instead of posing at stage center and directly facing the audience to deliver key speeches…[actors] were to behave as if they were in a room with the fourth wall sliced away, unaware that they had an audience.”

15. A Doll’s House from Wikipedia
First premiered in 1879
critical attitude toward 19th-century marriage norms.
Ibsen was inspired by the belief that ‘a woman cannot be herself in modern society,’ since it is ‘an exclusively male society
the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is and to strive to become that person.

16. From “Gender roles in the 19th century,” by Kathryn Hughes
As the 19th century progressed men increasingly commuted to their place of work – the factory, shop or office. Wives, daughters and sisters were left at home all day
The two sexes now inhabited what Victorians thought of as ‘separate spheres’, only coming together at breakfast and again at dinner.

17. From “Gender roles in the 19th century,” by Kathryn Hughes
“Women were considered physically weaker yet morally superior to men, which meant that they were best suited to the domestic sphere. Not only was it their job to counterbalance the moral taint of the public sphere in which their husbands laboured all day, they were also preparing the next generation to carry on this way of life.
Angel in the house

18. From “Gender roles in the 19th century,” by Kathryn Hughes
“Women were assumed to desire marriage because it allowed them to become mothers rather than to pursue sexual or emotional satisfaction.”
“A young man needed to be able to show that he earned enough money to support a wife and any future children before the girl’s father would give his permission.”

19. From “Gender roles in the 19th century,” by Kathryn Hughes
“Young and not-so-young women had no choice but to stay chaste until marriage. They were not even allowed to speak to men unless there was a married woman present as a chaperone. Higher education or professional work was also out of the question. These emotional frustrations could lead to all sorts of covert rebellion.”

20. From “The middle classes: etiquette and upward mobility,” by Kathryn Hughes
“From the last quarter of the 18th century, the middle classes began to grow in power and confidence…The number of people who counted as middle class began to swell, and men became defined by their jobs rather than their family background.”

21. From “The middle classes: etiquette and upward mobility,” by Kathryn Hughes
“The Victorians believed it should be possible, in theory, for any man to succeed in the world through his own efforts no matter how humble his origins.”
“People who didn’t rise in the world were assumed to be at fault.”
“With so many more people living in the cities, it became important to position people according to their exact place in the social hierarchy.”

22. From “The middle classes: etiquette and upward mobility,” by Kathryn Hughes
“The real function of a middle-class wife was to display her husband’s financial success by stocking her home with material possessions.”
“The lady of the house herself became a walking billboard for her husband’s material success.”

23. From “Victorian morality” Wikipedia page
Victorian: Queen Victoria’s reign ( )
“sexual restraint, low tolerance of crime and a strict social code of conduct.”

24. Works Cited “A Doll’s House.” Wikipedia. Web. November 5, 2015.
Hughes, Katheryn. “Gender roles in the 19th century.” British Library. Web. November 5, 2015.
Hughes, Katheryn. “The middle classes: etiquette and upward mobility.” British Library. Web. November 5, 2015.
“Victorian morality.” Wikipedia. Web. November 5, 2015.